Almost a week
by mamaavalon
Summary: Old submission for outlaw queen week on tumblr. Didn't complete everyday but here are the ones I did submit. Nothing graphic to earn the M but implied in the one chapter.
1. Pretending

His father's been after him again. Nagging on his bachelor existence. Telling every family member who will listen how he's cutting him off from the family fortune. Robin couldn't give damn about his inheritance but he was willing to put forth some good face for his grandmother who had begged him to bring the young lady he was courting to dinner this Friday evening. Unfortunate fact that he has not been courting a young ladies or any ladies at all. Couldn't bare to tell her the he's been a cad to the woman she'd met leaving his flat. Just someone he's picked up for the night. What he's been tossing around his head to do tonight, the sole reason he's in this bar with John and Tuck.

He hasn't met a girl yet he's want to subject to the horror that is his family. He's all but given up when Tuck ordered the third round of ales but then.. he sees her. Dark brown hair, tight deep blue dress, her heels sky high, beyond beautiful. She looks annoyed with a bloke who just won't sod off. Her face tight, a downright scornful look. It's on his next drink that he's decided he's had enough.

Her body tenses tight underneath his hand as he slides it around her waist. "Hello love, didn't keep you waiting long, did I" The man's face a mixture of anger and fear humors Robin.

"You could have just told me you were taken, or were you hoping to get a free drink?" She can't even get a response out before he's scoffing away as though he were the one wronged.

"I could have taken care of it by myself." Well then she's American. Her lack of an accent standing out.

"Yes, you were doing lovely, pinned there to the bar." His shoulder shrugs bringing his arm up and down her back. "If that was your intent." It earns him a scowl but all he can offer her is a smirk; Amused, she's didn't shrug him off the moment the other bloke walked off.

He pulls himself away slowly he doesn't want her uncomfortable. The last guy had done a bangup job at that for the both of them. Up close she is even lovelier than he'd originally though. Her eyes are so deep a dark brown and wide looking at him. He's in trouble. He flounders through an attempt at asking to buy her a drink. Her answer is a resounding no. His face must show his disappointment. "It's..." She softens "I can't drink tonight I was just waiting for a friend and she canceled. I was on my way out till him." She nods in the direction of the other man.

"Does that mean you'd be interested in having drinks a different evening."

"With you?"

"Unless you'd prefer we find you another?"

She smiles and it floors him. He's suddenly hoping her answer will be a yes.

"Is that her then, your date for the big ole Locksley family dinner." Tuck queries as he returns to his stool at the bar.

"Nah, shot me down."

"What was the kiss on the cheek for?"

"Her thank you for getting rid of a block headed bloke who didn't understand no." He hopes they can't see the grin he's fighting; he can still feel her soft lips on his cheek as she told him to call.

"Better luck next time, mate." John shrugs as Robin tucks her number into his pocket. No, Robin muses he won't be taking her there, to be mulled over by his father, she's far to lovely for that. Gram will have to be disappointed that his lady friend will be ill for this party at that last moment and maybe if all goes well tomorrow evening Gram can meet her another day for tea.


	2. Lost

"Do you remember?"

"Do I remember what?"

"A little boy who helped you through the woods? With that she turns from the campfire in his arms to look at him. He thinks it was her. He has to know for sure.

"A young Lord's son that tells tale of a small girl no more than 10 with dark eyes and dark hair. How he had found her lost in the woods."

"Robin?" Her face scrunched in confusion.

So he tells her a story about a small little girl by a winding river who he watched from afar. Braids halfway down her back skipping and playing, ever careful to keep her dress clean. He followed the little girl deeper and deeper into the woods mesmerized by this young girl who his father forbade him to speak to. For her father had wed a witch who could spin straw into gold and would kill a man just as readily as say hello. The girl didn't seem evil despite his father saying such a wretched woman could only produce subpar spawn. The little girl looked nice from what he could tell, lonely perhaps but not evil. And yet at the castle it was her mother who kept all the children away for her. That's why he had to follow her to see if maybe her real self would emerge once alone. And it did she came to life out in the fresh air spinning around till her dress spun higher and higher and her laughter flowed on the breeze, till the sun was setting low upon the tree line. It was that damned laughter had caused him to fall from his hiding space. It had startled her, to his presence, to how late it was getting and brought on her fear. He had tried to soothe the young girls fear but she was adamant that he didn't know her mother and she's been gone far to long and now it was dark and she knew not the way back to The Lord's castle.

Regina relaxed in his arms to listen brings her fingers up to caress her lips. "The little girl was right you know. You didn't know her mother or what she was capable of.

"Shhh... I haven't gotten to the best part yet."

"Oh no?"

"No"

So the young man all ages of 12 held his arm out for the wayward girl.

"Princess." She corrects with a stifled laugh.

"Ahh yes princess, as we now know her to be."

So the young man offers his arm to the wayward princess. Through perilous situations he leads her gallantly out of the forest and delivers her safely to her father. Who takes her into his arms with a warm hug and kiss to the brow welcoming her back. The young man is ushered away n'er seeing the wayward princess again.

"I like your version of the story. I never realized it was you after all this time."

"Is your version different Milady?"

"No but my night has just begun and while father welcomed me with open arm, mother said I was treading a dangerous line to be alone with a boy, as lowly as a lord. That my trajectory had not even begun to rise and I was already trying to shoot it down. I had tried to explain to her you had found me lost in the woods but she saw it as back talk. I had angered her to the point where she tried to contain me with magic... It frightened me and I fell awkwardly hitting my face on the way down. My lip bled so badly we left that night."

"I was the cause" her lips cover his effectively silencing him. The soft pressing of her lips eases his guilt over knowing the scar he loves was caused from his youthful innocence. When she pulls back she has a soft smile just for him.

"Don't be sorry, this reminds me of the kindness shown to me when no one else would have dared. To this day I was thankful to that boy, even at my worst. I won't let you skew it with guilt. Now hush and hold me" she says leaning deeper into his embrace "and if you'd be so bold I'd like to hear more about the lord's son who stalked young princesses while they played."

His laughter jostles her in his hold and he tells her more about a young boy who had just lost his mother and found hopes by a stream in a powder blue dress with braids, to young to understand then what exactly has been her pull.


	3. Bandits

She didn't see it, too busy cutting the wrist of the black knight that held her against him, hand tight around her throat. She'd felt it, the hot searing pain in her stomach, feels it acutely now. No time to think on it, couldn't spare a second of thought as she'd barely managed to mount the horse she now rides to aid her escape. Every clomp of the beautiful black horse's hooves jarring the arrow that now sticks out each side of her. She's not going to make it home. She's not sure she can even find a place to hide. The black spots narrow her vision as the world begins to spin. She urges the horse into the tree line. It's not her best choice, pain clouding her judgement and loosening her grip. Colliding with the ground is surprisingly painless. Her eyes dart quickly around for coverage, darkness all she sees. A hand tight over her mouth the last thing her mind can make out before the darkness swallows her.

Her consciousness slips in and out starting with a dull sounded snap, the arrow being broken, the fletching falling to the ground, a man's lips moving his blue eyes darting between her's and the arrow. Hands upon her shoulders another covering her mouth, her body twisting and arcing of its own will as the man with blue eyes pushes the arrow the remaining distance through her. Darkness and voices. Laughter and a fire barely seen beyond tent flaps moved with accompanied voices.

It's quiet when she finally wakes, the fire snuffed out the moon the only source of light. She topless, covered but topless, her wound bandaged lightly. There's a jar of dark mud like substance on the floor next to her. She is on the floor, well on a mat of some kind, a knife sits close to her shoulder, her attempt to move to grab it unsuccessful. Her arm does not move as she intends it to. Her mind is slow to produce the memory of falling off the horse. Nerves are getting the better of her as she survey's the tent she's in. Then she sees him. He's watching her, the man with blue eyes. He looks pained as he sits on the floor across from her, his hands slowly lifting to show her he means her no harm. He approaches her as though she were a wild animal, with care and slowly as though any quick motions will frighten her away.

"I'm Robin." He begins as he pulls the sheet covering her aside. "Robin Hood, you may know me by my wanted poster." Her current bandage pulled off of her, bright red but not soaked through, as he tells her of the evil queen searching for him halfheartedly, a new smear of the mud like substance on the puncture wound and a fresh dressing placed atop and beneath on her stomach and back. "I need you to lean into me, this bandage should be able to stay on longer." The strip of material he holds up as if to show her that he means to wrap the bandage around her. He lowers his upper body to rest against her before his hand snakes around her pulling her body up with his. She can feel his heart hammering against her breasts pressed into his chest. The rough material of his shirt on her bare skin, her breath slightly labored against his neck. He keeps one arm pulling her tight into him as the other wraps the material around her. He's careful with her his voice soft against her ear as he asks her name.

Her body shivers and her voice betrays her, too gravely for him to understand, her lips brushing against his neck. He pulls back to look at her. Clearing her throat she tries again. "Stealing from me."

"Pardon Milady?"

"You're always stealing jobs from me. Always beating me to them." Her voice soft but stronger.

"Is that so?"

"Yes"

"And what is your name Milady." He asks a second time.

"Regina"

He pulls back to look into her eyes. "I admire your work. You're brilliant." And then she's scoffing.

"What have you seen of my work."

"Enough to know I haven't been stealing any from you, Regina."

Her minds working hard for a rebuttal but his hands are distracting he leans back slightly, her body follows, to use both to tighten the knot he had been attempting with one hand. The last pull has her wincing hard against him.

"Apologies"

"For stealing?"

"Never, apologies for shooting you. I never miss..." He continues on about how he was aiming for the black night and how she had shifted; slipped in the black knights grip, that he was trying to save her.

Her heart hammers in her chest as he slowly lowers her back down, her mind whirling trying to conjure a way to grab the knife and get away from him suddenly angry over this entire experience being his fault as if he doesn't cause her enough trouble on a daily basis. Damn him. He steadies her a hand softly on her cheek, his eyes soft, yet cloudy and confused. He reaches for the knife and she freezes as she feels it on her skin. The squeak she makes flushes her cheeks the makeshift sling cut off her arm allowing it free range of motion.

"Didn't want you to reinjure it while you tossed in your sleep. Doesn't look like anything more than a bruise but the tumble you took from your horse was painful just to watch, I have to admit I was quite impressed with how you still managed to try and crawl away." She doesn't remember that part, doesn't remember being able to move at all despite his recollection that she was crawling towards a hollowed out trunk. He's smirking at her. His eyes fixed on hers as he pulls the cover back over her. She feels more exposed now than she did when she actually was exposed. How he's so easily dissuaded her anger; has her trying to break eye contact, but she's stuck, so very stuck. And he's still talking but she no longer has the slightest idea of what he's saying. He's paused waiting for an answer to a question she didn't hear. As luck would have it she's saved from responding at all as another man enters the tent finally breaking the spell he's held over her, turning away hiding the blush she feels creeping over her whole body, thankful and yet sad that the other man has Robin leaving the tent, leaving her to wonder when he'll be back. Knowing she needs to leave before he returns. Wondering if the her body is up to the task as the need for sleep hits her heavy and hard. Eyelids suddenly to difficult to remain open. Sleep once again takes her. She dreams of him, and wakes alone.


	4. Remember when

"I robbed this palace once." It gets her attention, not enough to make her turn around but enough to peak her interest. "You had just married the king. He was throwing a Ball for Snow."

"When wasn't he." She mutters under her breath. "It was her birthday."

"Milady?" He asks genuinely confused.

"Leopold increased the security around my room after it happened. My personal room was only robbed once, on her 11th birthday. "

"I took a great many things from yours and Snow's rooms."

"Yes, I remember; You sold it all?" She doesn't dare hope after all this time.

"All but a small necklace which was considered of no value when I went to pawn it." He dangles the necklace in front of her face. It's not the reaction he's expecting but he supposed she's raw already, hasn't been seen out of her room but only for a moment. It's well know she's refused every meal today. Snow. her gatekeeper, has kept everyone away from her castle wing. And Snow who told him that this day 13 years ago is when Regina brought her boy home for the first time.

She stares for a split second before her hand snatches the necklace from the end of his finger. The tears fill her eyes against her will and she sinks down the castle wall she precariously stood in front of. She's sobbing as he drops to his knees in front of her. "Regina?" But she can't speak, can't think, going willingly into his arms. Sobbing now into his chest. He patiently waits for her to stop crying or tell him why this necklace has such an effect on her. Choking sobs leave her body as she stares down at the necklace. She curses herself for being so weak.

He runs her arm gently when she finally allows him into her thoughts. "This is the first gift anyone gave me. Not Cora's daughter or Princess Mills I received more gifts than deserve mentioned from that but this was given to me, by someone who gave it willingly to make me happy. He was everything till she took him away." She's brushing the tears from her eyes. "It was a celebratory gift. Rocinante and I had cleared our highest jump. We had been practicing despite my mother's protests that I 'rode like a man'. This was just his way of showing me he was proud of me."

She has to get away from this thief before she tells him her whole life story. His hand on her arm is soothing though, calming her tired nerves and relinquishing her from her grief. So she lets it slip. "He became mine, allowed me to be his mother today and I'll... I don't know how to do this when he doesn't even know who I am. I don't want to do this without him."

His posture shift so that he can look at her. "Don't worry thief, I promised Snow I wouldn't use the sleeping curse, or take my heart out, again." Well that's new "again, Milady?"

"A story for another night." She says upon standing. "Goodnight... Thief."

"Goodnight Regina." He responds still seated on the floor. She doesn't correct him. She should but she far too tired as her feet carry her from the balcony where they stood to her room. She'll correct him tomorrow and everyday forth.


	5. Adoption day

She's 14 when the neighbors bring a scrawny boy barely old enough to drive into their home. She watches the day he arrives and his father tosses him onto the front porch. He's incensed talking how he's flunked out of the last school and someone else can deal with his worthless arse. His aunt send him to the backyard to shelter him from the conversation. He renders her speechless when she follows "guess she doesn't realize how loud he is, can hear just as good out here." With a shy smile "could you say that again?"

"Robin" he holds his hand out for her. His accent melting her instantly, "Regina" she replies her hand dumbly remains on her lap unaware of his outstretched hand, she finds all she wants to do is listen to him talk. And talk they do every that night and every night she can sneak out to the backyard, they alternate between the bench, the tree by the fence. He tells her of England and how his mom died, a botched robbery, how his father didn't know he existed until he got expelled from school, well the first one. His temper getting him in trouble defending his mother's honor.

They sit together one night while his aunt and uncle discuss his father. His hand slides into hers side by side on a tree limb in her backyard for the first time the night his uncle defiantly states he will not be going back across the ocean, his brother in law be damned. It's after he passes tryouts for varsity soccer "football" as he calls it that he pulls her around the building to give her her first kiss. It's as she's pressed between his broadening shoulders and the brick wall behind her that realizes he's not quite the scrawny boy he was a year ago when he moved in.

The kisses continue turning into heated make out sessions behind the shed in his uncles backyard, the pool house in hers. He's always careful with her and respectful never venturing beneath her shirt until the night her mother tells her she's going to summer camp this year. "You've been spending too much time with that neighbor boy." And so she guides his his hand beneath her swim top the night before she leaves pushing his shoulders so she can lay atop him, kissing him proper.

She worries the entire 6 week she's gone, terrified he'll find someone new while she's away. Though returning home it's his aunt that abates her fears "thank heaven's your home lovely, he's done nothing but mope." And so when she overhear the best news she can imagine that night, his uncle asking him if he'd like to make this family official now that they've obtained his father's permission. A request 2 years in the making, she darn near falls from her bedroom window when Robin jumps up and hugs them both in affirmation of there request.

"Not tonight boy" his uncle stops him as Robin rushes to the door to tell her. But she doesn't want to wait till morning to see him and hold him after six weeks and a day too long. She finds herself the one to sneak out seeking him out. Her heart warmed knowing the person he wanted to share his good news with is her. There hands are linked as they walk into the pool house. "So looks like your staying." She begins.

"There is no place I'd rather be than here... With you." She can't help but kiss him. She's missed him and his confession is sweet. Apparently he's missed her too. His hands are bolder than ever this time his kisses veering from her lips down her jaw to her neck and so she lets him slip her shirt off chuckles at his reaction to seeing her topless. Her heart damn near beats out of her chest when he shifts and she feels him hard against her hip his whole body pressed against hers. "Too much" he asks into her collarbone to the trembles coming from her body. "Fine, just no further, ok?" She feels self conscious stopping him. She shouldn't though and he tells her as much keeping his body pressed against her he pulls he head back to look into her eyes. "Never without your permission" he doesn't go back to kissing her just taking in how beautiful he finds her. How lucky he find himself.

"Did I ruin it."

"Ruin what?

"The mood."

"You could never, you are my mood."

"Oh well." She nuzzles up into him "kiss me then." And so they celebrate him staying kissing on a pool house couch Regina in her jeans and Robin in his.

A couple months later she waits for him hiding in his room waiting for them to return from the courthouse. She wasn't allowed to attend her mother stating how it was a family affair and Regina should not be present. She's behind the door when the front door opens bringing the new family home. She only emerges from behind the door when she's sure it's just him. Surprising him with hands covering his eyes just after he throws of his button down. He must have started unbuttoning the moment he entered the house. She has an undeniable want to give him something special and so it's her who's bold this time. Her urging him to sit on the bed as she's on her knees before him asking him if this is ok, hands at his belt. Her shy eyes looking up at him before she takes him in her mouth, suddenly unsure, and yet him who strokes her shoulders softly as he shakes in pleasure from the feel of her mouth. Him who talks to her the entire time telling how amazing she is as his hands silk through her hair. Him whose yanking her up to kiss the adorable look off her face, buzzing pleasantly. It's him who holds her when she tells him she's not quite ready for him to do the same. Him who eases her worries and says the words that bring her eyes to tears with his "I love you," As she gets up to sneak back into her house.

"Of course you do." She comments slightly disbelieving. "Happy adoption day, Robin. Hope you enjoyed your present." Blushing slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "My favorite ever." He replies with goofy grin. He gives a final kiss watching her drop down from his window her winking at him before she turns to her own bedroom window. Her "I love you too." quiet enough he's sure she hadn't meant him to hear it. But hear it he does and all he can think as he drops to his bed is best day ever.


End file.
